Guardian's Oath
by Ruddy OWLS
Summary: In an epic fantasy re-telling of the Pokemon story, follow the Aura Guardians as they protect their kingdom against the greatest threat of their time. Can Ash, Leaf, and Gary learn to work together to save their world? AU/Has OldRivalShipping, kind of.
1. Chapter 1: Long Ago

_From the writings of Sir Aaron_

_First Aura Master_

_Year 160 MIV  
_

….And how our world has changed!

There was a time long ago, in a different world long past, when all people and Pokemon were deeply in tune with the power of Aura, the rippling threads of spirit which Arceus wove through the very fabric of life, in the beginning. But that time is past. The world is always changing.

For Pokemon, only certain species seem to still be able to connect with the power of Aura; for humans, the gift is even rarer. I have been granted this gift—I can see Aura, feel it in my bones, reach out and touch it as though it were a physical entity. What I see, though, is lost to others. We are losing our connection with our world, slowly but surely.

This crystal we have found, though—it may change everything.

It amplifies the bond between human and Pokemon in ways never dreamed of before. With it, they can share thoughts, emotions, even abilities. It increases the Pokemon's power tenfold, and grants the human abilities that the Pokemon possesses—imagine a man breathing fire, like a Charizard, or shaking the very earth as Tyranitar does! The connection it forges between a human and Pokemon pair is so strong, they can become almost like one being, unified in heart and mind—something no one has been able to achieve since the early days of the world.

This crystal can unify people and Pokemon—and bring our kingdom the might to stand against even the most formidable foes.

This is why I have founded the Aura Guardians, to protect the world and the secrets of Aura. Whether naturally gifted or not, people and Pokemon can come to receive a crystal, to form the greatest bond possible with their Pokemon and become Guardians of the realm. With our hearts united, we can become an unstoppable force for all that is good and just in the world.

I am the first Aura Master, leader of the Aura Guardians. Others will come after me, to take up the cause I have begun. Within the pages of this book, the history of the Guardians will be recorded from now into time immemorial—their victories and failures, battles fought and hardships overcome, darkest hours and brightest moments. Within these pages are their hopes and dreams, visions for a new future.

Come, you who follow after me, and let your story be told here for eternity.


	2. Chapter 2: A Bad Idea

**Disclaimer: Take any familiar names of places and people you find here with a grain of salt, because with the AU nature of this fic, they may not always be exactly the same characters and locations you know. This fic draws influence from a variety of sources—the games, anime, and manga. To understand the characters and locations in the new context they've been placed in, be pre-disposed to look at this is a world straight out of a swords-and-horses fantasy novel, but Pokemon style.**

**Also, for those of you who don't know, OldRivalShipping is GreenxBlue—in this context GaryxLeaf. It's not RedxBlue, AshxGary, or any other slash variation.**

**Please read and comment-especially if you have constructive critique! I'm really looking to improve my writing with every chapter.**

**

* * *

**

In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to dive-tackle someone who was considered prodigy of the Guardians, grandson of the most esteemed scholar of the age, and not even to _mention_ nephew of the king of the whole damn nation.

But to hell if Ash was going to let him get away with it this time—he'd had just about enough of Gareth Oak.

"C'mere and say it to my face, Gary, you're not in striking range yet!" Ash challenged, and then instead of giving him the chance, took a flying leap forward with arms outstretched. Both teens went tumbling to the ground in a heap, spitting curses and throwing fists. The courtyard was suddenly filled with a great deal of shouting, even more cursing, and a few cheers of _"Get 'im!' _mixed in here and there, though who was supporting who was difficult to determine.

"I'll say it wherever I feel like it, _Trash!" _Gary snarled, managing to bend his knees enough to kick the dark-haired boy off of him. While Ash recovered, the breath kicked from his lungs momentarily, the older teen scrambled to his feet, rusty brown hair sticking up all over the place in even more disarray than usual. "You wanna go, riffraff, then let's go!" he declared confidently, grinning. The disdain showed in his brown eyes.

There was a flash and a sharp _crack_, and a bolt of blue electricity sizzled past Gary, striking the stone wall behind him and leaving a long scorch mark.

Ash lifted his chin, defiance evident in his own stormy blue-grey eyes as he got to his feet. Blue sparks buzzed angrily around his fingertips. "Anytime, Gary!"

"PI-KA!"

Out of nowhere, a ball of bright yellow fury sprung past Ash and latched itself onto Gary's face, white-gold sparks dancing all around its body. The lightning-tailed Pokemon hung on with grim determination as the teen hopped around madly, trying to rid himself of the electric menace. The muffled shouts obscured by the Pikachu's fur in his face probably just consisted of more cursing, anyway.

Ash recovered from his momentary surprise, and cheered, "Go buddy go!" his fist pumping in the air jubilantly..

"Bre!"

A blur of dark fur sprang from the sidelines, leaping up to sink its teeth into Pikachu's tail. The Umbreon's rings flashed bright gold, and the electric mouse was yanked off Gary's face and thrown to the ground.

Pikachu rolled and came back to all four paws, still shooting sparks from his cheeks as he growled at the Umbreon. The dark fox Pokemon's rings flashed angrily and he charged the smaller opponent, teeth snapping and claws swiping. Both went tangling across the cobblestones, pulses of dark energy and white-hot lightning flying everywhere.

"Hey!" Ash, momentarily distracted by the danger to his partner, took one step to go to Pikachu's aid—and stopped as a mass of glowing, purple energy exploded at his feet. Ash turned to see Gary staring at him, both of the older teen's hands engulfed in a swirling, shadowy mass that looked almost like black flames.

"Your fight is with me!" Gary snapped. Ash watched as he held out his hands, the shadows around them coalesced into an orb in between. A wicked, violet glow pulsed at its center.

Ash shifted to face him completely. "Fine!" Not wasting time for a second, he clapped both gloved hands together, and a bolt of blue lightning went arcing after Gary.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. One moment, his opponent was standing there, a glowing, sizzling dagger of lightning flying at his chest. The next, Ash watched in shock as Gary's form flickered, tendrils of shadow springing up around him—and then he vanished, like a mirage.

Before Ash even had time to _think_ about what might have happened, Gary's voice suddenly hissed in his ear. "No hard feelings, but I'm just doing my job and taking out the _Trash_."

Ash spun in time to get an exploding shadow ball right in the face, sending him flying. Moments later, he landed with a great, steaming _splash_ in the fountain in the center of the courtyard. Stunned, he groaned, trying to cope with the sudden, burning pain in his chest. His flailing arms sent splashes of water flying everywhere.

It was a nice fountain. Made of bright, white stone, the pedestal in the center held high a sculpture of a Milotic. The serpentine Pokemon held its head high, sending a steady stream of water arcing from its mouth into the bowl it coiled around. Out of the bowl, the water went cascading down into the fountain, then through the pipes and back again in a continuous cycle.

It _was_ a nice fountain. But as soon as Ash recovered his senses, he sat up sharply, soaked and infuriated, and started firing random lightning bolts all around the courtyard. Gary charged up another shadow ball to fire at his opponent, but had to let it loose and dive to one side to avoid being struck by a crackling electrical charge—at which point his misfired attack exploded near the top of the fountain and blew the Milotic's head off.

Unchecked, the stream of water flowing through the pipes became a torrent, and it began to _rain_ in the courtyard on a perfectly sunny day.

The growing audience decided it had had enough. Trainees and Minor Guardians fled.

Still dazed, Ash stopped firing for a moment and looked down at the smoking, charred remains of the front of his shirt. It didn't look too bad, but sitting in the fountain, where the water came up to his waist, he could feel the sharp stinging where it touched the angry red marks. He winced.

"Pika!" Pikachu, looking scratched up but otherwise okay, sprang up on the edge of the fountain and stared at him, dark eyes filled with anxious concern.

Ash grimaced. "I'm fine, it just hurts a little b—_oof!"_

He heard the splashing and Pikachu's cry of warning a split second before someone seized him roughly by the back of his shirt and he was hauled to his feet. Gary yanked him around angrily and pulled him up by the collar until they were face to face.

"It's not buddy time, _pansy_, I think we were in the middle of something weren't we?"

"Chuuuu," Pikachu growled, sparks sizzling dangerously around his cheeks as he crouched down, ready to take on the much larger human himself if he had to.

Ash stared at Gary for several seconds, too surprised to respond. The older teen looked a bit worse for the wear, clothes disheveled, with several scorch marks on one shoulder. His rusty hair stood straight up, with plenty of singed spots here and there. Obviously, not every one of his electric outbursts had missed.

He tried to contain himself. He really did. But suddenly Ash couldn't stop himself from snickering at Gary's appearance, until finally it turned into full-blown insane cackling.

This did not amuse Gary, who curled his fist and growled, "I swear to Arceus-"

Suddenly someone seized _Gary_ by the back of the shirt and yanked him back, throwing him out of the fountain. Ash, free from the other boy's grip, stumbled and fell backwards. When he looked up, the sight of fiery hair, golden eyes, and a fluttering crimson cape greeted him.

"Uh-um...hey General Lance," Ash stuttered, suddenly very nervous and very aware he had been instrumental in the brawl that had just wrecked the courtyard. Only _now_ did it occur to him to re-think his actions, after the fact: _Bad move, _he decided. "Nice to see you?"

The General's face communicated clearly that he was not very happy to see Ash.

Lance reached down with both hands and grabbed him by the back of the shirt, yanking him out of the water, and then unceremoniously _tossed _him out of the fountain onto the cobblestones. Ash hit the ground hard and tumbled head over heels for several feet. "Ow ow ow," He muttered to himself, clutching his chest.

Pikachu gave a start and scurried to his side, ears back and tail drooping. "Pika pika..."

"Ugh. Yeah, that smarts," Ash muttered, reaching out to pat his Pokemon on the head. "I'm not gonna die though."

When he sat up, he saw immediately a huge orange Pokemon nearby, wings outstretched as it relaxed in the sunlight. He also saw Gary's Umbreon, pinned beneath its claws; although the smaller Pokemon struggled valiantly, it couldn't so much as shift the Dragonite's grip. He stared at the huge dragon, awestruck, forgetting everything else for a moment.

Lance, the Spatial General, one of the three highest-ranking members of the Guardians—the Generals only answered to the Aura Master himself, head of the order. Though the youngest of the three, he was no less formidable than the others, trained as a dragon master from an early age. With his bond with his Dragonite, he could even take control of the weather at a snap of his fingers, or so they said. And while the dragon master was normally suave and charming in public, everyone at the Keep knew he also had an explosive temper.

Ash cringed inwardly. He'd be in _heaps_ of trouble. He could only relish the knowledge that Gary would be in heaps of trouble right along with him.

"Dumb punks, wreckin' da courtyard, gonna take me days ta clean dis mess up," grumbled another voice nearby. Ash turned and discovered the speaker to be none other than a short, two-legged cat Pokemon, its whiskers twitching irritably as it surveyed the courtyard with slitted eyes. The gold coin on its forehead gleamed in the sunlight. Its eyes finally settled on Ash, and it scowled. "Dis is your fault, ya got it? Yous guys and your 'splodey stunts—lucky I got help before ya blew da whole Keep up!" Turning away, it descended into more grumbling about all the things it'd have to do to fix the fountain.

Ash rolled his eyes. Meowth served as something of a housekeeper around the Guardian's Keep, making sure the small castle stayed clean for its residents. With his ability to speak near-perfect human language and understand Pokemon at the same time, he also served as a translator. Meowth didn't like his job. Meowth liked to let everyone know that fact at every opportunity.

Pikachu glared. Pikachu disliked Meowth almost as much as Meowth disliked his job.

Meowth just ignored it and snorted, turning his nose in the air and walking off.

As Ash watched, a Dragonair curled around the fountain, sapphire scales shimmering in the light. Lance directed it carefully, and within moments bright blue flames billowed from its mouth to melt and seal off the broken metal pipe. The drizzling rain immediately cut off.

_Oh boy, here it comes,_ Ash thought, bracing himself. A glance at Gary showed the older boy staring straight ahead, ashen-faced.

Lance's boots struck the wet cobblestones beneath him with a steady, measured pace as he stalked over to the two boys, one eyebrow raised. He stopped just in front of them, folding his hands behind his back. "Does _anybody_ want to tell me—just—what-_happened?" _He asked, a dangerous edge lurking beneath his otherwise calm tone.

Nobody said a word. Ash just stared at him, willing the encounter to be over.

After several seconds of no reply, Lance nodded. "Good, because _I really don't care,"_ he growled. "What are you trying to do, maul each other to death?"

That was pretty much the idea, yes, but Ash held his tongue.

"Are you _nuts?_ Or did your mothers not birth you with brains?" the dragon master continued, railing now. He threw his arms in the air, exasperated. He rounded on Gary first. "You honestly wonder why you haven't been deemed fit to be promoted to Major Guardian yet, Sir Prodigy? Ha! It's _obvious_ why the Aura Master won't promote you, you're _far_ from ready for the responsibility!"

He saw Gary stiffen, grinding his teeth in an effort not to snap right back. Ash hoped against all hope that he might escape the temperamental General's furor, but no—his turn came next.

"And you!" Lance made a strangled noise. "You're just—just—AGH! You may _never_ be promoted! I've never seen anybody who could do so many dumb things in less than an hour, at least not anybody that's still _alive," _he ranted.

Ash clenched his teeth, anger stirring in him at that remark. That _stung._

"And you're in my division, of course, so it's all on me! I have to put up with you! Maybe I should just let you blow each other up one of these days. Then it won't be my problem any more, but if I do that-" He glared first at Gary, "I figure your uncle and grandfather would probably agree to hang me by my toes from the highest battlements they can find, and let a flock of Murkrow eat my face off!" Next he turned to Ash, who flinched under the weight of his golden gaze. "As for you, the Aura Master thinks very highly of you-"

Ash, surprised, had to take a moment to let this sink in. The Aura Master talked to him _maybe_ once every few weeks, in passing. They didn't exactly have an active friendship going on.

"-being the kid to whom he extended his _personal invitation_ to join the Guardians," Lance continued. "Troublemaker though you are, if I so much as lifted a finger to throw you out, he'd probably...I dunno...use his Aura powers to turn me inside out, or something, and spread my internal organs all over the lawn."

Ash wondered if he had been hit on the head at some point during the fight, because suddenly he had to struggle not to laugh at the imagery.

Lance sighed, winding down, and rubbed his temples. "Kids like you two waste my time and make my life harder, got it? If it happens again I'm really tempted to do something drastic, like tie you up and throw you in the ocean with a good, heavy rock attached. Consequences be damned." He turned to Gary. "You. Fix the fountain. _Now_."

The older boy opened his mouth to protest, pushed to the limits of his self-control, but Lance cut him off quickly. "I don't care _how _you do it, you figure it out. That'll be part of the punishment. Better be done before you go to sleep tonight, or I _will_ throw you in the ocean." The red-haired General turned to his Dragonite. "Argon! You can let that thing up now!"

Obediently, the enormous orange dragon lifted its foot, and Gary's Umbreon rolled to its feet, shaking itself frantically as it tasted freedom once more.

"Jasper! Here!" Gary barked as he strode over to the broken fountain. The Umbreon's ears shot up, and he trotted off after his partner, golden rings glowing softly.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief and got to his feet, hoping to sneak off while Lance's attention turned elsewhere. "C'mon, Pikachu, guess we're d-"

"AH, NO. Hold on there, Sparky." Lance growled, turning back around. "_You_ aren't getting out of anything, because _you_ started it."

Ash froze as though caught by an imaginary string, and turned around. "Yes sir?"

Pikachu's ears and tail fell even further, so that his whole small body seemed to droop. He, too, turned to face the dragon master.

"Whenever there's trouble lately, I always seem to find you in the middle of it," Lance hissed. "It's almost _uncanny. _You're going to go to Joy first, to see to those burns," here the General glanced meaningfully at the ragged hole in the front of Ash's shirt, "And then _you_ are going to go straight to the Aura Master, and _he_ will deal with you."

Ash definitely felt himself turning a shade paler. Oh, no. No no no.

Pikachu made a squealing noise and threw itself to the ground, tiny paws covering its head as though to hide from impending doom.

Lance didn't seem to mind their horrified reactions at all. "You're going to explain to the Aura Master what happened," he repeated, "And then you're going to come back here and scrub all the scorch marks off the walls and the flagstones. I will ask him later to make sure he knows every detail of what went on."

And with that, the man pivoted on heel and strode off, beckoning for the Dragonair and Dragonite lounging about to follow him.

In his wake, Ash stood, staring numbly at the ground. He'd rather have scrubbed every flagstone on the continent. He_ really_ didn't want to have to see the Aura Master, but the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him he would have to just get it over with.

Ash took a deep breath and turned around, toward the entrance to the Keep. "Come on, Pikachu. We don't really have a choice."


	3. Chapter 3: Liar

Nurse Joy did not find the fight in the courtyard particularly amusing, either. When Ash showed up with half a shirt and angry red welts all over his chest, the pink-haired healer scolded him liberally about the virtues of self-control. A Blissey, Joy's Aura Partner and closest friend, stood to one side, offering help when needed. Two Chansies waited in the corner, and half a dozen Happinies perched on the shelves and empty beds, watching the activity as though they had nothing better to do.

Which, Ash realized after several moments of enduring their staring, they didn't. Not many people had to be sent to the Infirmary when times were peaceful.

This only made him wonder how it must have looked in this room years ago, when the Guardians went to war against CIPHER along the border of Desert Province. The war had started not long before his birth, and lasted for almost eight years after that. He remembered the day it ended...the same day the former Aura Master, Spenser, stepped down and selected his successor.

With an inward groan, Ash recalled that this successor was the very same man he now had to go explain himself to. He'd been trying not to think about it.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu poked him in the side impatiently, sending a small buzz of electricity jolting through his body.

Startled, Ash turned his head to regard the small yellow Pokemon seated at the edge of the bed beside him. "What?"

Joy snapped her fingers, catching his attention. A faint pinkish glow was fading from around her hands. "I said, I'm finished with the healing. It should be fine, as long as you don't decide to start any more fights this afternoon," She told him. "Just make sure to find yourself a new shirt."

Ash glanced sidelong at the tattered blue shirt he'd discarded on the bed. "Definitely. Thanks Nurse Joy," he offered gratefully, grabbing the burned garment and standing up. "See you later!" He called as he walked out the door, Pikachu scurrying along in his wake.

"I should certainly hope _not,_" he heard Nurse Joy reply testily behind him.

Ash snickered as he turned down the long corridor, allowing himself to enjoy the moment before descending back into despair over his upcoming audience with the Aura Master.

Now that he looked back on it, he should've just walked away. He cursed at himself for letting his temper get the better of him and responding to Gary's taunts; starting a fight with the older boy would never stop the taunting, anyway.

But it hurt, having to listen to all the snide remarks, and eventually the cooped-up resentment broke free—especially when most of what the others said was true.

Ash found his room quickly, a small space with a bed in one corner and a nightstand beside it. The blankets on the bed sat in a rumpled heap, unmade since this morning when he woke up. He'd left the chest sitting at the end of the bed open, his clothes lumped inside in disarray.

Ash tossed the burnt shirt back in and pulled out a blue and black tunic sitting on top, pulling it on over his head.

"Pika?" Pikachu queried, jumping up on the bed and watching him. Through their bond, Ash received a general, muddled assortment of ideas and images trying to convey a thought, which translated roughly: "_Does it still hurt?"_

"Nah," Ash told him, buttoning his tunic and pulling his belt on over it. "Joy does a good job healing. You can't even see anything now, except it's a little red."

"_Good."_

Ash reached out and scratched the yellow Pokemon on the head affectionately, prompting Pikachu to waggle his ears and close his eyes, lightning tail twitching back and forth happily. After several seconds, he opened his eyes again and asked, _"Do we have to go see the Aura Master?"_

Ash's expression turned glum at this. "Gee...thanks for reminding me."

"_He's not a scary man. He's nice."_

"I know."

"_But he'll be disappointed, which is worse," _Pikachu comprehended, picking up on the turmoil of emotions within his partner.

Ash groaned. "Exactly!" He didn't mind so much being in trouble—it happened all the time. Getting yelled at by Lance might be scary, but it wouldn't kill him. The only thing that really scared him, though...was the thought of the Aura Master, looking at him with disappointment in his eyes. It made him feel like he hadn't lived up to the expectations place on him.

He'd lived here, in the town of Rota, since before he could remember, just an orphan kid raised by two old ladies, and of all the people in the world, the Aura Master had picked _him_ to personally recruit at ten years old. The man could have just waited for him to choose. Every year, the Guardians held a festival, and young hopefuls could come from all around to join the order. They would receive an Aura Crystal, form a bond with their partner Pokemon, and begin training, until they became Minor Guardians at age thirteen. Ash might have just decided to join anyway, but no, the Aura Master had chosen to _ask_ him to join.

Ash didn't know why the Aura Master had picked him. He didn't think he'd ever find out. They didn't talk that much; not many people talked to the Aura Master regularly.

But he hated the thought of letting the man down.

Pikachu startled him out of his thoughts. "Pika pi!" The Pokemon squeaked, waving a tiny, outstretched paw at him.

Ash hesitated for a moment, then smiled and held out his hand. Pikachu's paw wrapped around the tip of his finger, creating a brief burst of blue and gold sparks. When the sparks fizzled out, he straightened, his confidence renewed.

"Yeah; we'll be fine, as long as we stick together. It won't be fun, but we just have to get it over with," he concluded, more or less speaking to himself.

Pikachu nodded and hopped off the bed. "Chu!"

Together they left the room, heading off down the corridor to find the Aura Master. It proved to be a lot more difficult than it seemed at first, Ash concluded in frustration some time later as he re-entered from the garden outside. Not in the courtyard, obviously; not in the garden; and not anywhere else the boy had checked. The Guardian's Keep was a big place, but not that big; how many places could the _Aura Master_ hide?

"Pikachuuuuuuuu." Ash glanced down to see his partner drooping along on all fours, significantly less enthusiastic after walking all over the Keep.

Ash sighed. "Here," he said, bending down and picking up the yellow mouse. Perking up, Pikachu scrambled up his arm to perch on his shoulder. "Let's go this way," Ash decided, turning left.

The sound of his boots on the marble floor echoed eerily through the hallways, mostly empty except for a few people hurrying back and forth. The majority of the Guardians of all ranks had probably decided to spend the day outside, with the sunshine and all, leaving the inside deserted.

On a whim, Ash turned through a large stone archway into the Hall of Virtue, the most important room of the Keep.

Huge as it was, he had to pause to take it all in. The vaulted stone ceiling arched away over his head, almost giving him a sense of vertigo as he stared up at it. High windows looked out over the garden and the walls outside, where a few trainees sat listening to one of the older Guardians lecture. However, the center of the room caught his eye first.

Down a few steps to the lowered floor of the circular room, and he stood in front of the Revenant. They called it the soul of the Keep, the spirit of the Guardians; they hovered in the center of the circular room, spheres of pure Aura energy giving off a bright aqua glow. They came in many sizes and behaved like liquid, translucent, constantly shifting, changing shape, molding together, breaking apart. No one knew what caused it, but the Revenant had been here forever, they said, since the Keep had been built.

Ash had been here many times. This was where he'd been inducted, as a trainee, and received his Aura Crystal to form a bond with Pikachu. Here he'd been promoted to a Minor Guardian. Here, hopefully, he would one day be promoted to a Major Guardian...with luck, anyway.

A _lot_ of luck.

Ash reached out tentatively towards one of the floating spheres, pushing at it with a fingertip. He felt a hum of energy through his arm, and the surface of the orb gave slightly—but other than that, it didn't change much.

A master of Aura could manipulate the orbs at will, without even touching them—but the gift was rare. According to some, Ash knew he had maybe a little bit of natural gift...but he'd never really pursued it in the five years since he'd joined the Guardians, due to the difficulty he found in trying to manipulate Aura energy. He couldn't get his mind around it.

He looked around curiously. No Aura Master in here?

"Chu," Pikachu remarked, leaping from his shoulder and scurrying past the Revenant to the far wall. A mural had been painted there, depicting the beginning of the world.

Ash approached it, staring upward. It started at the top, with Arceus, the Alpha Pokemon, and moved down. Dialga and Palkia came next, and from them time and space, the universe. Below this Giratina snaked through the picture in waves of lightning and smoke, the Renegade, master of the Torn World sealed away long ago. Then there was Mew, ancestor of all Pokemon, hovering beneath the branches of an enormous tree—or what looked like a tree, anyway, until you looked closer and saw it was made of stone, a mountain. Even so, they called it the Tree of Beginning, the source of all life and of Aura itself. According to legend it had once existed near Rota. If it really did exist, though, it had vanished long before man began recording history—just as Mew had also vanished, a mirage found only in legends.

Finally, at the bottom, Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie had been painted, the creators of the human spirit. Beneath each was written a single word—Valor for Azelf, Verity for Mesprit, and Acuity for Uxie. They trio circled in flight around seven lines of flowing script, seven lines that every Guardian knew by heart. Ash stared at them, mouthing the words.

A voice suddenly spoke behind him, echoing throughout the chamber. "_A Guardian must swear an oath—three virtues he must keep._"

Ash stiffened, startled, and turned his head slowly. He recognized the voice. Silence reigned for several long moments, until finally he mustered the backbone to reply, "_His mind takes heed of wisdom; with his blade he defends truth; and his heart is filled with courage."_

"_By this oath he must live always, to bring hope unto the people,_" the voice finished for him. "Seven little lines, born more than a millennium ago, yet still the most important lines ever uttered within these walls."

Ash turned to face the man standing behind him. "Aura Master Riley," he greeted, bowing deeply.

Deep blue eyes grinned back at him, nodding. "Ash." The Aura Master had removed his hat, revealing the dark locks underneath. Riley was probably the only Guardian who actually carried his Aura Crystal with him, set in the end of a staff that had supposedly once belonged to Sir Aaron—none other than Riley's ancestor. The rest of the Aura Crystals were kept in a chamber beneath the Keep, for safety, though only the power of Aura could shatter them.

The hair on the back of Ash's neck prickled, and on an instinct, he glanced to one side—and leapt back, startled. "Woah!"

Riley's partner, a Lucario, stood there staring at him with crimson eyes. He hadn't even heard it approach. It cocked its head to one side at his surprise, but made no other movement.

The Aura Master chuckled lightly. "Sorry, he's a bit of a ghost on the move. He even surprises me sometimes."

Lucario's ears twitched, his tail swishing back and forth, and he grunted. "Ru."

"Yeah, I noticed," Ash replied half-heartedly, realizing now he'd have to tell his story. He took a deep breath, acutely aware of Pikachu staring at him to one side. "General Lance sent me to explain to you..."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Does it have anything to do with the uproar coming from the courtyard earlier?"

"...Yeah..."

"...Here, sit down and tell me."

Riley's cloak settled about his shoulders as he set down, and Ash followed suit, seating himself next to the Aura Master. Lucario moved to the foot of the stairs, stalking off several paces to stand like a silent sentinel, gazing out the window; Pikachu climbed onto Ash's lap and curled up there.

Ash took a deep breath and explained what had happened, even though it made him cringe inwardly to do so. He started from the beginning, with Gary, and pushed through to the end with the fight escalating and Lance stepping in to put a stop to it.

When he finished, Riley remained silent for several seconds. Then he nodded. "Well, I can't say you didn't make a mess of things, but at least you're honest." He sighed. "Gary's not a bad person, you know. He just hasn't been able to see the world from anyone else's perspective yet."

Ash couldn't help it; he gave a snort of disbelief. Immediately he regretted it and glanced away. "Yeah. Okay."

Riley arched an eyebrow at him, his expression becoming amused. "I mean it. He's not as bad of a person as he may seem, just like you aren't so much of a failure as he seems to think just because of your upbringing." The Aura Master suddenly seemed to think better of his opinion, and added to it. "What I mean to say is, don't underestimate your own worth. You've more value than you know." He coughed slightly, seeming a bit flustered. "Rather, _everyone_ has more value than they know, if you understand my meaning."

Ash felt himself go slightly red in the face with embarrassment. High praise, especially considering the story he'd just had to tell. "Thanks," he mumbled, not entirely sure how to respond. Pikachu stirred in his lap, ears flicking up as the yellow Pokemon turned its head to stare him in the face.

Riley, apparently, hadn't managed to complete his thoughts yet. "And I'm sure your parents would be very proud, if they were here to see how you've progressed as a Guardian," he added quickly.

Ash shrugged. "Yeah...I guess."

"I suppose you don't really think about them much."

Again, Ash shrugged. "Nah. Dad went off to the war, Mom disappeared not long after I was born. I don't really remember them, so it's not like I ever had much of a connection with them to miss," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Ah," the Aura Master said simply. Then, quietly, he added, "That's too bad."

Awkward silence reigned for several long moments between them. Ash shifted uncomfortably, staring at the floating orbs of energy in the center of the room. They were almost mesmerizing, the way they moved, and he found himself quickly caught up in watching them, his eyes tracing their path.

Finally Riley spoke again, breaking the silence. "Well, I think I have a job for you."

Ash tore his attention away from the orbs quickly, turning to stare openly at the Aura Master. Pikachu's ears shot up in the air, and the yellow Pokemon perked up significantly, now paying full attention to the conversation.

The Aura Master grinned at the reaction. "You see, I've been trying unsuccessfully to correspond with Lord Byron. The last few weeks I've sent several messages by Pidgey, but haven't received any kind of response. I think he may be unhappy with me and is choosing to ignore the messages." He sighed. "This communication is important, however. So I need someone to deliver the message in person and get a response from him, no matter what it takes."

An electrifying surge of excitement rose in Ash's chest, completely erasing whatever gloom he'd been feeling moments before. A real mission. Minor Guardians received missions, certainly, but not many, and even something so mundane as courier work was considered an adventure as long as one managed to get out of the Keep. "Well, I think I could deliver a little message, easy," Ash ventured.

Riley nodded, still grinning. "I was hoping you would. So I'm sending you to Oreburgh, capital of Mountain Province, tomorrow after breakfast. Meet me in the courtyard and I'll see you off with your letters to deliver."

"Yes sir!" Ash jumped up, spilling Pikachu unceremoniously in the floor. A real mission!

"Pika pi!" The electric Pokemon squeaked indignantly, picking himself up and scowling up at Ash.

Riley laughed. "Very good. I suppose you'll probably have to do some clean up, so go ahead and be on your way. You're dismissed."

Ash nodded, practically bursting with excitement and not really paying attention. "Yes sir!" He repeated as he strode off, Pikachu scurrying after him. He practically bounced out of the room, and would have skipped if it hadn't been entirely undignified.

A _real mission!_

_

* * *

_

Riley watched him go. Only when the boy was out of the room did the grin fade from his face, to be replaced by a guilty, anguished expression. He ran a hand through his dark hair, staring at the floor. "I'm a liar. An Arceus-forsaken _liar._"

Lucario moved to stand by his partner's side, laying a paw on the Aura Master's shoulder sympathetically. No words passed between them; no words needed to be said. They both understood already. They shared everything, no matter how deep or painful the secret.

Riley shut his eyes. "I'm sorry," he murmured softly. "So sorry."


End file.
